Of Broken Toes and Broken Ties
by levy120
Summary: Whoever said that Lucky was just that? While spending his time in the hospital and curing himself from Bonkers's toon-shenanigans an old enemy breaks out of prison and takes his chance for vengeance. Based on the episode "Basic Spraining"
1. Prologue

**Of Broken Toes and Broken Ties**

The door to the room opened with a soft creak and from behind it, peeked his face.

The room was bright; beds with bright white sheets stood left and right next to the big window. The curtain fluttered a little, but it was so different than the curtain he knew from theatres or Hollywood. This one felt cold, and the soft breeze escaping from it just proved him right.

Bonkers blinked his eyes, stepped into the room and closed the door not particularly quiet, which caused the man in the room to cringe.

* * *

"Keep that toon away from me!" demanded a rough voice that emerged from the bed.

His pleas, however, were not answered and instead a loud wildcat calling his name landed straight on top of the detective, bouncing ever so slightly. Soft fur nuzzled the part of Lucky's skin that was not hidden by the massive bandage.

* * *

"How's my favorite partner?!" the bobcat asked, before he gave the man another hug, "I missed you!"

Great, he'd been here for… what? Two hours?

"Have I taught you nothing about patience?" _…or stealth for that matter?_

At this, Bonkers pulled himself up and blinked down at his boss.

"But we're not working right now!"

Lucky wearily rolled his eyes. His muscles clenched uselessly against the fresh plaster that caged him in, making it impossible to shove his 'partner' off the bed.

* * *

"But, don't you worry!" Bonkers chirped up as he pushed himself up and glanced down at the human's cheeks he had squished together in his excitement, "I know just the thing to make you feel better!"

* * *

- And in burst a Marching band of toons.

The _noise_… THE NOISE!

* * *

After what felt like an eternity to Lucky, a doctor _finally_ arrived, finding the detective wriggling to the best of his abilities.

"What's going on in here?" the consultant demanded.

Bonkers raised his eyebrows in confusion, glancing at the man as he picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

"The patient needs rest!" the doctor declared and the bobcat shrugged uneasily.

"But laughter is the very best medicine you can get."

* * *

~*TnT*~

Bonkers, with ears laid back, rubbed his behind where a significant boot-print was displayed and soon the band of toons followed him out voluntarily, crowding around the orange cop on the floor.

Fallapart trotted up to the bobcat and plopped down next to him.

"That worked well," he stated as cheerful as the rabbit could get.

"No, it didn't!" Bonkers disagreed with a slight sharpness to his voice, got up and cleared the corridor.

The group of toons exchanged looks, disposed of their instruments and followed the bobcat in single file.

* * *

In front of the building, the bobcat dismissed them all with a genuine "Thank you, people!"

Fallapart however waddled back to him.

"Wanna join me in some Bingo?"

Bonkers put on his police hat and adjusted it pointedly.

"Thanks Fallapart, but I'll go back to the office."

He wished his bestest of friends the bestest of luck and departed, eager to distract himself from the recent letdown.


	2. Act 1

"And then I shall rule aaaall the candy supplies of Manhatten!"

"Not today, Puppyface! PEW PEW!"

"Curse youuuu, Captain Awesome!"

* * *

Bonkers was very busy with reading the newest issue of his favorite comic when the phone interrupted him, so the toon casually picked it up.

"Helloooooo," he made his introduction, playing with different pitches before he started to rattle down the usual "Hollywood Police Department, Toon Division, Bonkers D. Bobcat - How can I help you?" at a speed you only remembered from health-risk warnings on the TV.

"Ahhhh, Bonkers!" responded the approving voice of Chief Kanifky, "Say, could I meet you in the office?"

The toon set the comic aside and leisurely put his feet on the table, "Sure, sure, I'll be waiting here!" he then said.

"I meant in my office," Kanifky explained, not at all bothered by the bobcat's attitude.

"Be right there!" it answered in his speaker and before the Chief managed to put the phone back in place, the bobcat had already stormed through the door, leaving it swaying behind him.

Kanifky appreciated the reliability with a warm smile, before it faded and his face directed a more contemplating expression towards the empty space next to Bonkers.

"Say, where is that Pickle guy, if you need him?"

"Pi-quel!" Bonkers corrected him, subdued. "He's still in the hospital."

* * *

It had been a week since Lucky had been admitted. Most of his wounds were healed by now, but he still suffered a broken leg that – in the bobcat's book – took awfully long to get better. If Bonkers had had any say in it, he would have gotten his ol' pal out of the horror they called hospital right after he was bandaged up the first time.

"Well then," Kanifky stated and turned around to fetch his fishing rod.

"Officer," he picked up again; "We have a situation, and I'd like to put you on this case, since you happen to have prior experience!"

The bobcat's face lit up as if a thousand spotlights had caught him – literally. Not to mention the light-bulb floating over his head. Bonkers quickly turned it off, grabbed the file on the desk, slammed it against his chest like a precious treasure and gazed intently at the Chief.

"You mean, I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're in charge," the superior stated nonchalantly as he sat back down, "Now who would you like to-"

But before Kanifky could finish his sentence he was interrupted by the door slamming against the wall as the bobcat dashed out of the room.

His new aim?

The hospital!

* * *

~*TnT*~

"LUCKY!" The voice of the toon echoed in the corridors, causing a certain patient to cringe. In a bout of panic the detective pulled his wheelchair over to hide behind a bushy plant. He sighed with relief when he saw the toon-cat passing by, but yelped in surprise when he turned to find his partner right up in his face and grinning like a maniac.

"Guess what, boss!" he half-shouted, tapping the human on his shoulder playfully.

"What?" Lucky wheezed; squeezing his eyes shut.

"I found youuuu!" Bonkers responded with a low coo, hugging his boss.

The deep grunt didn't stop the bobcat from doing what he did, however, so eventually Lucky pried the toon off by the neck and held him as far away from him as he possibly could.

"Yes, you did," the man voiced threateningly. "You're it! Go hide!"

"Oh, but I can't do that, Lucky!" Bonkers shook his head and handed Lucky the files about his case.

"See?" he prodded, pointing at the paper, "I've got work to do now!"

Great, the senior officer thought, then what was he doing he- wait _what_?

Lucky straightened himself and stared at the little fur ball in quiet wonder. He set Bonkers down again and disbelievingly took the sheets, browsing through them quickly to see if the files in there were for real, or if the toon was just playing him.

"They let you work – alone?"

"Of course not!" Bonkers denied happily and bent over to meet the detective's face.

"I'll take you with me!"

* * *

Lucky quickly attempted to struggle or call for help, but before he could manage to achieve anything, the detective found himself kidnapped by the toon.

"Apparently there is a witness who watched the crook flee," the bobcat briefly explained on the way back to the basement; pretty much ignoring any traffic lights and taking every possible stairway there was. Once they had _finally_ arrived Bonkers let go of the wheelchair, zoomed around in the office and jumped into Lucky's lap who winced and bit back a groan.

"We need to find that witness and recapture the crook!"

"No!" the detective objected to Bonkers's childish enthusiasm, "You do that! You and another officer. Or Fallapart. Take Fallapart, he'll be glad!"

Bonkers crossed his arms behind his back, bashfully swaying a bit.

"Fallapart is on vacation."

"But he was at the hospital the other day!"

"Won the vacation at Bingo."

* * *

All that aside, the toon wanted to take this case with Lucky anyway. Lucky was his partner! His boss! Lucky knew what had to be done! Lucky knew _everything_! And then… well, there was the crook…

"Lucky?!" the bobcat squeaked, pleading by now, and only earned a deep grunt in response.

"Did you look at the files yet?"

"No, Bonkers, because I am - not - taking - this case! I'm in the hospital! Means off duty! Means no work! Means no cases! Means no toons! Means…" he let that linger dramatically for a moment, his accusing finger pointing right at the bobcat's nose, "…no Bonkers!"

And wasn't that all the more reason to even stay sick for the next few weeks if he could help it?

* * *

With the determination in Lucky's voice a spark of panic had been ignited in the furry officer and he began to flail helplessly.

"Lucky, please!" he glomped his boss, clinging to him tightly as though his life depended on hit.

"Stop being such a child!"

"It's Mc Slime!" Bonkers blurted out and shoved the case files into his partner's face.

Lucky immediately cooled down, blinked and gulped.

"Mc Slime?"

Bonkers nodded, quietly but certain.

* * *

Slippery Mc Slime. Lucky remembered that specific crook just all too well. Said criminal had earned that particular nickname due to always slipping through the fingers of law, well until he met detective Piquel, that is, namely – him. And yes, Bonkers helped too. A bit.

The toon and he had been partners for barely a month when it all happened, and after a partnership that had lasted for three years now, the officer still remembered this case as if it was yesterday, what with Mc Slime almost managing to kill him with a steamroller. You know he didn't really want to say it, much less admit it but… that day Lucky had learned to trust Bonkers. To… some extent, you know. Maybe let's just say that he pretty much gave up trying to make sense of him – that sounded a LOT better to him.

* * *

The older officer had remained silent for a while as he recalled the memories – too long for Bonkers to take. The toon hated waiting and the detective could easily see how the bobcat began to fidget increasingly. In fact that was what snapped his attention back to his partner.

"Don't worry, Lucky!" the orange officer announced, speaking more to himself than his partner it seemed, "We'll get him! Just like last time! Let him know that he picked the wrong team to mess with and –"

"Bonkers!" Lucky cut in and the toon abruptly stopped.

"Yes?"

"I can hardly move!" the cop hollered; what little sympathy he might have felt for his partner seemingly vanished in an instant. "Why don't you get someone else for your case and let me rest? They WILL find you someone; we have a whole _station_ full of policemen that are ready for this job."

Despite the harshness of his words the request came out much less aggravated this time; more like a warm suggestion. Bonkers, however, remained irresponsive, fidgeted some more and shifted his eyes all around the room.

"Well?" Lucky urged.

"He tricked me last time," the toon admitted feebly.

The response Bonkers got was an almost sardonic chuckle as Lucky smugly leaned over the wheelchair.

"What now? Are you scared?" Granted, the detective had been fooled back then as well; but he didn't feel too troubled about it since Bonkers was fooling him all the time.

In the back of his mind he wondered if he _should_ worry about these kinds of things more often.

* * *

The aforementioned toon just sat there and twitched a little, before he eventually glomped his partner again with full-force; almost managing to knock the wheelchair over.

"YES!" was the simple but petrified response.

"Bonkers!" Lucky objected and tried to get rid of the bobcat that tightly clung around his head. "Cut that out! You hear me? Cut that- Take me back to the hospital NOW!"

The toon gave a last tight squeeze before he let go and dropped to the ground with a weary salute.

"Alright, boss."

* * *

Although reluctant inside, Bonkers complied with Lucky's wish. It was a slow ride this time, and even if it took longer, Lucky couldn't say that he minded the change of pace. Once they arrived they were promptly greeted by the woman behind the reception, who had thought nothing much about their disappearance and assumed that the toon had just taken the patient for a stroll. This was because the detective would have been fine enough to walk around with the aid of crutches, you see, but somehow he kept on insisting to stay longer, which surprised her. Nevertheless – she had a message to deliver.

* * *

"Welcome back, Mr. Pickle."

"Pi-quel," Lucky corrected her sourly, while Bonkers tilted his head at the lady.

"You have a visitor waiting in your room. He arrived a while ago and said that it was very urgent."

* * *

The unlikely duo glanced at each other for a moment and without another word Bonkers grabbed the handle of the wheelchair to roll Lucky over to the elevator.

"A visitor, huh?" the detective muttered to himself.

The quirky answer he expected from Bonkers never came.

* * *

The silence remained, until they had reached the desired floor and the familiar 'bing' of the elevator indicated that it had moved on. Unused to so much silence from his partner, the senior officer found himself relieved when, even if hesitantly, the bobcat spoke up again.

* * *

"I- my senses are tingling," he said flatly as he stared in the direction of Lucky's room with an empty gaze.

"Really? What senses?!" the detective inquired, "The only thing I ever get from you is nonsense!"

Bonkers blinked at the senior officer in confusion, before he let go of the wheelchair and shushed his partner.

"Just wait and see!"

* * *

Leaving a very disgruntled Officer Piquel behind the corner, Bonkers slowly tiptoed towards Lucky's room alone. Cautiously the toon pressed his ear against the door and his eye slipped into the keyhole.

Bingo!

* * *

He had been right.

...Oh no!

He had been _right_!

* * *

With an audible gasp the orange officer pulled away and dashed back to where he had hidden his partner.

"Lucky! You've got to see this!" the toon exclaimed as hushed as possible and without much of explanation pulled a spy-glass out of his pockets. In a rush he shoved it into Lucky's face and began to spin one of the pieces. The Spy-Glass extended quickly, growing and growing and conveniently rounding the corner until eventually it hit the keyhole spot on.

* * *

"Bonkers, what are you talking about? I don't see any- oh,"

The detective immediately went quiet.

* * *

The first thing he noticed was a bulky man standing at the window. His back was turned towards the door and he appeared to be wearing a doctor's attire that was far too small for his size. In his right hand was a syringe, but Lucky couldn't determine whether it had been used already or not. His left hand, which had been hidden from sight before, then leaned upon the windowsill and exposed a still-clean scalpel.

The man suddenly moved and turned around to pick something up from the floor. Lucky's focus was getting blurry by this point, but the detective was sure he saw a limp arm coming into view. Shifting in his wheelchair the detective tried to move the spy-glass a little, until, in the corner of his vision he found a man lying motionless on the ground. Lucky did not know whether the guy was still alive or dead, but one thing was disturbingly obvious…

There was no time to find out, because the bulky fake was heading for the door.

* * *

Lucky gave a startled warning and before he knew it, Bonkers had ripped the spy-glass out of his hands, repocketed it faster than he could watch and with a tight grip on his superior's wheelchair, had rocketed the detective out of the hospital.

* * *

It was a fast trip home, Lucky couldn't remember ever having arrived earlier.

* * *

Bonkers slammed the door behind him shut and then drooped limply over the wheelchair, panting like a dog. There was a dead silence hanging over them… and Lucky didn't complain.

Wait… if Lucky didn't complain, then there was something wrong!

Very, _very_ wrong.

* * *

"He was here…"

The bobcat stopped wheezing and watched his boss emerge from the wheelchair. The detective grabbed his crutch and began to hobble around in the vandalized room. His poor house… It looked just as if Bonkers had thrown a party with some of his toon friends while he had been in the hospital; just lacking the confetti and the pawprints on the ceiling.

"Dyl? Marylin?" Lucky called. The question was calm at first, but when the lack of response persisted a harsh panic began to lace his voice. It was a tune that Bonkers remembered hearing far too often whenever he messed up, though it had never been quite that desperate.

He began to fidget and remained behind the wheelchair, too scared to go anywhere near his boss at this time.

"Maybe they're… shopping! Yes, shopping!" the orange toon threw in, cheering up a bit at his own suggestion.

* * *

The senior-officer turned to raise an eyebrow at Bonkers who just grinned sheepishly. Yeah, right.

Behind the bobcat, however, something caught Lucky's eyes and he began to limp straight towards it. There, right next to the front door was a note pinned to the wall.

Not your regular ransom note either. There was no money involved.

Bonkers watched helplessly as his partner ripped off the paper and stared at it with sheer horror on his face.

* * *

"He's…" over and over and over did his eyes run over the note, "He's challenging me…"

Eventually, the detective's eyes ripped from the piece of paper and, in a zoned out fashion, wandered through the demolished living room. The hand resting on his crutch began to shake violently.

"Boss?" the feeble question came, and Bonkers ever so slowly walked up to him. The bobcat stared at his boss, his partner, with expectation, because… Lucky always knew what had to be done, right?!

* * *

Squeezing his eyes shut, the detective came to realize that he had no choice.

"Maybe your witness saw what happened to them."

Guess Bonkers would get the partner he wanted after all.

* * *

At that revelation the toon's expression immediately brightened up and he began to babble away with the strangest misplaced excitement.

"You're so strong, Lucky! So this is the plan. Find the witness, protect the witness,

Find Dylandra and Marilyn, Lock up Mc Slime for good! Easy as that! And don't you fret! We'll solve this case. Us together! Side by side! Book him! Take 'im to the court! He'll get his just-desserts! And it will NOT be a banana split!"

* * *

With trained professionalism the detective had zoned out of the ramble until eventually, an insistent nudge from Bonkers signalized him that the toon was done.

"Right, boss?"

"Uh… yeah, right…" Lucky responded, barely mumbling as he turned to limp back to his wheelchair.

And that's when he came to realize…

The wheelchair! He was trapped in that thing! He couldn't catch a crook like this! He was doomed! His _family_ was doomed!

* * *

"We can't stay here!" Bonkers eventually piped up again, jogging Lucky out of his thoughts. The bobcat quickly zoomed up right behind Lucky, grasped the wheelchair and briskly tackled the detective into it.

"Mc Slime is searching for you! I bet that was him in the hospital! We need to get you to the force! He won't dare going there!"

Lucky, fighting away the shock blinked and tried to reel his head in Bonkers's direction who by now had leapt back into action.

"Whenever did you start making sense?"

"I do?"

* * *

"Yes," the officer confirmed, miraculously. "But SLOW IT DOWN!"

The bobcat forced the wheelchair into an abrupt halt, almost flinging Lucky out of it in the process. Just before them, the traffic light turned red.

"Yes…?" Bonkers leaned over the wheelchair with a sheepish grin. A big hand wrapped around his neck and pulled the toon right up into his senior officer's face. His grin wavered nervously, but didn't fade.

* * *

"I just don't… _cannot _put them in danger, Bonkers!" his boss gave Bonkers the look; THAT look that said it all. When his partner quickly nodded in understanding Lucky let go of the quirky guy and watched as the toon's eyes immediately morphed into quivering pools of water before the fountain exploded and Bonkers threw himself at Lucky's chest.

"I DON'T WANT THAT EITHER!"

* * *

The older officer pulled back at first, but soon dropped the harsh demeanor and opted to just pat the toon's back. His fellow officer was just as worried as he was. He just… expressed it differently.

* * *

~*TnT*~

In the meantime a large doctor passed through the halls of the hospital. He didn't appear to be too happy. For most of the other doctors, the diagnosis was simple...

The coffee machine must have been broken again.

What none of them knew however, was that the coffee machine was perfectly fine and that the colleague they met on the corridor, was no fellow-doctor at all.

* * *

The bulky figure eventually disappeared into a broom closet and after a while and a few rustles an elderly, but chubby lady left again, carrying a bundle of clothes, and a mop. No one had suspected a thing.

* * *

No one, but a tiny toon-butterfly who had been following the person around for quite a while. With a nervous gulp the infamous witness kept on following the crook like a lost puppy.

The round lady in the pink jumpsuit harmlessly greeted people that passed her and the people greeted back casually. Without much opposing trouble the woman had left the building and disappeared behind the next corner.

* * *

The toon, driven by his curiosity, followed cautiously but as he approached the mysterious corner, a large, beefy hand suddenly engulfed the tiny being whole and with a helpless squeak it was pulled out of sight.

* * *

~*TnT*~

Bonkers and Lucky were on their way back to the Headquarters to look for clues around the prison where Mc Slime was known to have been held. Maybe, they hoped, they could find out something about the witness, who had not yet actually shown himself to the police, or - even better - maybe they would manage to collect some clues on Mc Slime's very escape.

* * *

Currently the small bobcat was busy in trying to push the wheelchair of his slightly... robust colleague up a hillside, panting in exhaustion.

"What happened to your last diet?" the toon wheezed as he was closing in on the top.

"What happened to _your _energy?!" Lucky retorted, "Drop the act, Bonkers, this is serious."

"But I'm a toon, acting's what I do!" the orange officer retorted; now perfectly fine. The detective couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Luckymeo! You aren't angry, are you?"

* * *

The man was about to give the toon a piece of his mind, when Bonkers beat him to it.

"I know you're worried! But, Lucky! Don't be so scared! We're a team! Peas in a Pod! I'll look out for y- oh look a butterfly!"

The bobcat pointed up at the colorful insect speeding right towards them, and in his distraction almost crashed into the very same lamppost the butterfly had pancaked on.

Quite proud of himself the toon pointed back at the disastrous trap he'd avoided and winked at you, yes you, dear reader, hello. Why don't you wave back?

* * *

Officer Piquel on the other hand was concerned with something else, for his wheelchair had – due to Bonkers's epic distraction – suddenly begun to move without his consent.

With a mournful "I'm dead..." the detective began to roll down the _very_ steep street, heading directly for a set of parked cars.

"BOOONKEEEEERS!"

The furious yell had pulled the toon back into the script. Bewildered, Bonkers turned around to witness what was going on and with a hurtful flinch squeezed his eyes shut from the loud crash that followed.

* * *

Oops.


	3. Act 2

"Aaw, Lucky - don't take it so hard," the toon tried to soothe his seething boss, "After all we found the witness."

Said witness turned out to be the little insect who now rested on officer Piquel's head with a sheepish smile. Maxim Butterwing von und zu Schmetthausen was his name, a toon-butterfly who sported a set of green wings and goggles.

"Here, this will cheer you up!" Bonkers tried again, waving a little letter in front of Lucky's face, "Maxim says that this goes to 'the fat guy'. I guess that means you!" the bobcat explained with a chuckle, as he poked Lucky's belly.

A low, thundering rumble emitted from the man as he quietly glared daggers at both of the toons.

The officer at this point sported all new bandages that wrapped his body up completely and rendered him nearly motionless. They were at the hospital.

_…Again._

* * *

The previous wheelchair had been curtly replaced by Bonkers with a hand-trolley; and for the first hour or so, the bobcat had been going on and on about how its red color would make every racing driver jealous.

Because that was EXACTLY what every person with a full-body cast would want to hear from a toon.

Lucky's glare eventually moved from the fuzzy officer and placed itself on the folded piece of paper that Bonkers had been waving around before him now. Instead of slipping into a lengthy tirade the detective simply squeezed his eyes shut and decided to stick with the essential. Maybe this way, his partner would eventually get it.

"My arm is broken," the detective hissed through grit teeth, only to earn a chuckle and a grin in response.

"Silly me."

* * *

While Bonkers occupied himself with the letter, Lucky glared up at the butterfly as good as he could.

"_Say_, why didn't you report to the Police right away?!" Lucky sneered.

"I… I didn't want to lose track on him, I guess," was all the neurotic butterfly could manage to sputter out, before he hid behind Bonkers to avoid Lucky's death glare. In a desperate attempt to switch the topic he peeked at the letter in Bonkers's hands.

"Hey, you're holding this upside down!"

"It says building 8; you cannot hold that upside down."

At this, Lucky's interest was perked.

"What? It says _what?!_"

Bonkers casually folded the letter together again and with the utmost calmness placed it in his chest pocket.

"It says to meet Mc Slime in the old harbor, building 8. That's all."

"That's all?"

"Yup."

"But… but there's _got_ to be more!"

"Nope."

"E- excuse me?" Maxim tried to butt in.

"A ransom! A threat!"

"Nada."

* * *

Silence filled the air for a moment, and with a slight tilt of his head, Bonkers thoughtfully crossed his arms. The _harbor_…

"It is a trap…" the larger officer concluded.

"Y- ya!" The butterfly now piped up, "but even if it is…"

Lucky, trying to make sense of all this mess was too busy telling himself that he was dreaming, to pay attention to Maxim.

Bonkers, who didn't NEED to make sense of ANYTHING prodded on,

"But what?"

"There was a woman and a little kid."

The sound of something crumbling suddenly cracked in the air, and Lucky whirled around in a mad haze.

_"YOU!"_

Maxim quickly dodged the sudden body-slam assault and hid behind Bonkers, who stiffened in panic and watched with evident worry how his boss crashed upon the ground.

"Boss! Calm down!"

The wounded man however would not, so the toon-officer saw no other way than to pin his wriggling partner down like a common crook. Who knew that a stiff plaster-mummy could move so much? "We know where they are now; we'll find them! We'll _save_ them!"

"He should have _called the police!_" Lucky bellowed from below the bobcat and pointedly glared up at the fidgeting butterfly, "You could have _prevented_ this!"

Maxim guiltily decreased his height of flight, while Bonkers watched his partner uncertainly. Thankfully a light-bulb soon flashed on above his head and with a light consolation clap on Lucky's cheek the bobcat turned to look at the butterfly.

"I think you can still make it up to him. Listen… _Whisper, whisper, whisper…_"

* * *

The street they traveled on was empty, but not quiet. An occasional whistling tune bounced off the walls until it was scolded to pipe down and switched to the ever prominent bickering.

"You know, Lucky… about that '_diet_'"

"Cut it _out_, Bonkers!"

"Okay."

A married couple would have lasted longer.

* * *

Once the two cops had arrived at the harbor they were greeted by the sight of an empty dock and a line of storage depots. How utterly cliché. Lucky thought he heard Bonkers mutter something about 'the writer obviously having a bad day' but decided not to ask any questions about that.

_Toons…_

* * *

While they examined the outside of the depot for any kind of clues, the bobcat suddenly scrunched up his nose.

"I don't like this place…" he stated idly.

Lucky kept his eyes focused on the environment as he looked for anything suspicious.

"Why?" he questioned absentmindedly. It wasn't as though he actually cared anyway.

"Don't you smell it?" the toon responded almost feebly.

"Note – face condition," Lucky reminded dryly and Bonkers bent over questioningly to realize that his boss was referring to his bandages. Yeah, even the toon had to acknowledge that this probably blocked out a lot. How his boss was even able to breathe that way was a mystery to him. Lucky's eyes however, remained ever stern and glinted furiously at the bobcat, putting him back into his place before the toon had any chance to make a remark.

"Now pull yourself together or do you want to blow our cover?"

"…No, boss."

* * *

At this point, Bonkers's shoulders sagged and he stopped moving the trolley. Why was that?

Noticing the sudden lack of drive, Lucky tried to shift as well as he could in his plaster-suit.

"Did you find something?"

The only thing the detective found however was his partner looking positively _green_ around the nose. And just then… their situation impacted on Lucky like one of the bobcat's blasted anvils. He was _dependent_ on Bonkers in order for this to work! He couldn't just let the little guy get sick on him _now_ of all times! So, as hesitant as it was, the detective forced himself to the question; an odd concern creeping into his voice.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry, boss," the toon wailed apologetically, "but I feel… _funny_ in my head"

"Funny… _good_, or funny _bad_?"

At this, Bonkers mereley blinked at his boss, utter confusion written all over his face.

"Funny can be _bad?_"

While it was hard to read Lucky's expression, his eyes spoke _volumes_ and the annoyed groan that followed was a dead giveaway for the toon, that this was not the time for jokes.

Sadly though, the bobcat hadn't been joking.

Nevertheless – and to avoid further dwelling on that topic, since he hated to disappoint his boss – Bonkers grabbed the handles of the trolley again and moved the two of them ahead.

The faster they found Dyl and Marilyn, the sooner he could get away from this place and put his mind to rest.

With a new pace set, the toon steered them both into the direction of building 8. It was easy to assume the crook would be waiting for them _there_ – after all it was a classy setting in the movies.

* * *

The bobcat kicked the doors open dramatically. The gate flung for a moment, leaving a trail of sunlight on the floor as they stepped in. It wasn't particularly dark in the building, but the dim artificial light didn't provide them with much to work with; other than the fact that, yes – someone was here.

"Now be _careful_," Lucky advised the toon, "Our target might be anywhere nearby; and watch out for Dyl and Marilyn." Bonkers saluted quietly and set the two of them in motion, the butterfly hovering close behind.

It was eerily calm while they moved around. No one dared to actually call out for the hostages in fear of losing the element of surprise.  
With the everlasting silence and everything drowning in darkness, Lucky's senses were as alert as they could be and by now, even _he_ could smell the stench Bonkers had mentioned earlier, when they had been outside. The deposit they had entered harbored many (empty looking, but if the smell was anything to go by supposedly filled) piles of gasoline tanks; enough of them, for the detective to pray that Mc Slime hadn't expanded on arson in the meantime.

Unsettled by those very barrels the toon behind him was growing itchier with every passing second. He began to twitch mildly and eventually let go of Lucky's trolley so he could zip around the room, looking for the two girls.

"Mrs. Piquel?" he called out feebly, after he hadn't been able to find any kind of sign, "Marilyn?"

Lucky flinched, but there was nothing. No ambush, no answer, no _nothing_, nada.

"Boss," the toon, now back at his side, questioned helplessly, "What do we do?"

"I- I don't know, Bonkers."

"_Guys!_" the butterfly called from above the catwalk, "You need to see this!"

The bobcat turned around to look up at his flying companion, who was pointing at a door.

"Oho… Lucky, I'll go and check that out. You stay here!"

As if he had a _choice_.

* * *

The orange toon began to ascend one of the piles to reach the segment above the depot where Maxim was waiting for him.

Lucky watched his partner disappear into the depths of the building. There was no way he could possibly have gotten up there somehow, either by himself or with the bobcat's help.  
But… the thought of Bonkers trying to get him up there _somehow_ was actually quite unsettling enough; Lucky was pretty sure he'd be _fine_ staying down here.

He'd just… make the best of this… enjoying some peace and quiet. No toons, no…

"Boss!" …_Bonkers_, "I found them!"

Needless to say though, this was _good_ news and no words could possibly describe the utter sensation of relief Lucky felt at that moment;  
…not that it lasted very long.

Lucky Piquel found himself caught in a shadow. His eyes wandered left and right, up and down, in the hope he could distinguish the figure that wouldn't show.  
Not like the figure would _need_ to show in order for him to know who that shadow belonged to; which now _moved_ and… depicted the figure pulling a weapon.

_Oh, god_; Lucky immediately cowered inside his cast.

* * *

~*TnT*~

"Mrs. Piquel! Marilyn!"

"Bonkers!" both of them recognized their furry friend with relief. The toon slowly approached them, careful to not cause any noise as he untied the two girls. Once the rescue was accomplished he found the small arms of a child tightly wrapping around him and after a moment of taking it in, he responded the hug gladly.

"Lucky will be so glad to find you unharmed."

"Where _is_ Daddy?" Marilyn asked as she pulled away from Bonkers to look at the bobcat intently.

At this, Bonkers sheepishly scratched the back of his head and turned to look at Dylandra. "Lucky has… _technical difficulties_ of coming up here. And I can't let you two down there."

"Psssst, Bonkers!" a voice hushed from behind them.

The toon didn't turn around at that and instead a big grin spread on his face.

"Marilyn, Mrs. Piquel – this is a friend of mine. He's gonna get you out of here."

Mother and Daughter exchanged a quiet glance. Dylandra didn't mind Bonkers and would like to believe that she could trust him, but she was a far more logical person than Marilyn or Lucky, who was exposed to this kind of insanity on a daily basis. She didn't know if she'd be able to – how Bonkers and Marilyn put it – '_toon in_'; especially if Bonkers was to leave them in the care of a stranger.

Marilyn however, had no qualms about the situation and reassuringly gripped the hand of her mother tightly. All she would need to do was…

"Believe."

* * *

~*TnT*~

The crook loomed around the trolley and glanced at Lucky with that familiar toothy grin of his, looking oh so smug.

"Now if that isn't my official nemesis, officer Pickle."

Lucky heard the distinctive click of a gun being unlocked right next to his face and couldn't help but gulp.

"_Congratulations_. You have won the front seat to the execution of your family."

When Bonkers, humming a happy tune, emerged from the door on the catwalk, Mc Slime scowled and slowly removed the gun from Lucky's face.

"Not… a word," he advised with that low and hollow voice of his, as his eyes trained on the bobcat.

From where he was standing, Lucky couldn't do anything else, than to watch Bonkers move in closer, while carefully keeping track of Mc Slime as well as possible. He saw the shadow aiming his gun at the bobcat, squeezed his eyes together and with one heavy swing thrust himself back. The trolley tilted over and knocked into Mc Slime whose gunshot was redirected into the ceiling. This caught the attention of the bobcat and led him to jump down the elevation to aid his partner. Quickly placing himself between the literally fallen officer and the approaching crook the bobcat picked up Lucky and got him back into a standing position.

"Bonkers! What are you doing?! This crook has a wea- _WEAPON_, Bonkers!" The detective hollered his warning. Bonkers however wasn't unsettled by this in the slightest and instead tried to calm his partner down.

"No worries!" he chirped and patted Lucky's plastered shoulders, "I'll disarm him in no time… now, what do I do, Boss?!"

Bonkers however didn't quite get the answer that he wanted to his question; since whatever the senior officer was going to tell him was interrupted by a gunshot that just narrowly missed him and his partner.

The toon's face considerably darkened as he stepped in front of his partner protectively and pulled a baseball-bat from off-screen.

"So that's how you want to play, Slime?! Give me your best shot!"

A smirk crossed the crook's face and he put his arms akimbo. Bonkers, unimpressed kept weaving his bat readily as he awaited Mc Slime's next move.

The man in question began to walk over calmly and when Bonkers swayed the bat at him the crook simply caught it with his massive left hand. All the bobcat could do was blink at this in surprise before he found himself – and the bat – slammed, at the far off wall of the factory.

For a second, the toon remained stuck on the wall before he dropped to the ground with a tired groan.

* * *

When Bonkers shook the stars surrounding his head away and picked himself up again, his sight focused onto Mc Slime pointing the gun right at him. When the toon merely grit his teeth and went to grasp the bat again, the bulky villain idly changed the direction of the weapon towards Piquel's chest. The detective in question gulped and broke out in cold sweet.

"Not a move," he ordered Bonkers and the toon uneasily dropped the bat, kicking it away with a frown.

"That's a _nice_ boy," Slime mocked him with a voice you'd usually address a little child with, before he broke out in a raspy laughter.

The fuzzy officer scowled as he lifted his arms in defeat.

"Move over there," the crook ordered, waving his gun to indicate the direction "and no tricks!"

The bobcat exchanged a worried glance with his partner, before he reluctantly did as he was told; never once removing his eyes from Mc Slime.

"Good, now _stay_ there…"

Slime lifted Lucky – albeit his weight – back onto the trolley, when Bonkers's instincts kicked back in and he called out for his boss.

A gunshot, followed by a lot of noise and suddenly his partner was buried beneath a heap of toppled canisters.

"Are you _crazy?_" Lucky hollered, "You could get us all killed!"

"What problem of _yours_ is it?!" Mc Slime questioned sinisterly and moved the still smoking gun back at Lucky who gulped and immediately went silent.  
As if to prove a point, the gangster left the detective behind, marched up to the entrance of the building… and aimed at one of the filled tanks.

There was a spark, a flash of light and Lucky squeezed his eyes shut.

**_BOOM!_**

* * *

The detective hit the ground hard. He didn't know whether that deafening crack that had drowned out the explosion had come from his cast… or his body.

His vision was blurry and he felt downright drowsy from the impact. Somewhere in front of the burning building he acknowledged a hazy figure crawling towards him, but didn't really register its identity until said figure pointed the barrel of a gun straight between Lucky's eyes – the only place of his body that wasn't covered in the protective plaster.

That's when the cop snapped to attention, struggled within the shell and tried to scream for help – but the crook punched through the hard material easily and muffled his voice.

The eyes of the opposing figure glinted victoriously, the fire of the burning building in the backdrop reflecting surreally in them.

Before Lucky knew what was going on a familiar voice echoed in his head and a flash of orange zoomed past his vision. The cop suddenly found himself turned over and steadily rolling along the dock. There was a scream and a gunshot and water. Lots of water. The officer's eyes shot open as the pressure dragged him down and he could – not – _move_; NOT – BREATHE!

His mind was getting foggy, but he could have sworn to have heard another splash; _maybe_…

He had no time to check, because before he even tried to swirl around his world went dark.


	4. Act 3

The News Van sped over the street, crossing more than one red traffic-light and eventually found the scene of crime after it had followed several police cars and the eventual ambulance, as there had been a phone call from a distraught woman about an explosion in the area.

The _water_ did not care about the disturbance. It lay calm and untouched, as if nothing had happened. The scene was silent and bloodless. The only sign that a fight had taken place was the gun that had been left behind and a few damaged goods that had been scattered around the place, next to a burning storage-building. The Crew of the News Van furrowed their brows in skepticism, ready to turn around and leave. Whatever had happened here… it was over and past a few pictures for a minor newsflash barely offered them enough material to work with just then.

That was until their ears suddenly caught a gasp for air, a weak splash and a scrawny call for help.

Their senses alerted, the filming crew turned around to find a four-fingered glove clawing at the wet and slick wood of the dock. It was about to slip, when the reporter caught it and pulled the drenched toon it belonged to up on the solid ground. He gave the woman a weary smile and not before the ambulance team had fished out his partner did he close his eyes to rest, the chaos and buzzing people around him for once meaning nothing.

* * *

When he came to, his hands were tightly squeezing onto something soft. White fabric of a white sheeted bed in a bright and white room that he had grown far too familiar with in the last few months.

Lucky Piquel had woken up in the hospital.

"Oh, Honey," a familiar voice sounded next to his ear and a delicate warm hand squeezed his own.

"Dyl!" was the first thing to come over his lips and the detective clung tightly onto his wife. He took a deep breath and felt like the lead laying on his shoulders had finally lifted. And that, it _had_ – literally even, with the plaster surrounding his limbs now being gone.

He remembered the scene at the dock, the explosion, the fire, everything and his grip on her instantly tightened.

"I thought I had lost you."

She calmly pressed him back onto the bed, silently urging him to rest.

"That was very brave of you," she then said, "but please don't do it again."

He smiled and took her hand, tenderly, yet firm – afraid it might slip away any second and that he might only be dreaming.

"I promise."

* * *

Lucky let his gaze wander around in the room. Bright, white… and Dyl, standing amidst it all like an angel in heaven's light. He wasn't dead after all, was he?

"Where is Marilyn?" it slipped out of him.

"Oh, she's with Bonkers, Dear."

Sweet cute little Marilyn; Lucky chuckled to himself. He was pretty sure they were having a good time and Bonkers was doing his best to keep her from remembering that dreadful incident.

"They're in the room across."

Wait – what?!

"D-did something happen to her?"

Dyl cupped Lucky's face in her hand to calm him down.

"Marilyn is alright, Dear."

"But then…"

Before Lucky could word his question Ludwig von Drake made his entrance, adjusting his glasses as he waddled in.

"_Aaah_, I see you're awake!" he stated with his heavy accent.

"Vo- Von Drake…" Lucky stammered, as realization hit him. The _toon_ _doctor_, "Bonkers! How is Bonkers?!" he demanded to know and pulled himself up quickly, only to flinch back down from the pain.

Not THAT healthy just yet, big guy.

"He'll come around," the duck answered him, "But this Mc Slime he keeps rambling about sure knew what he was doing."

Lucky quietly mulled those words over before he fixed his eyes on Von Drake with a determined glare. "What do you mean?"

"You're a detective, right?" the duck answered, as he took off his pince-nez and pointed it at Piquel. Lucky meanwhile remained still, listening, deducting, "Then I'm sure you noticed _what_ they stored on that depot."

Lucky opened his mouth to respond… but no words would come out.

The detective soon opted to grit his teeth instead. Curse this Mc Slime, curse him. That crook had been willing to wipe out his partner and then blew up the building to eradicate him and his family. And the worst of it all, despite neither of that working…

_He had gotten away. _Lucky just knew it, somewhere deep down in his gut.

"You were quite lucky actually," the duck responded, chuckling at his own pun as he put the pince-nez back on his beak, "All of you."

That reminded him-

"Dyl!" Lucky eventually blurted and turned to face his wife again, "How did you manage to come out? I- I didn't see you!"

Bonkers had said that he had found them, so that meant they must have been in the building, right?

* * *

"That was Maxim," a high pitched voice suddenly cut in, and the detective turned to see none other than his fuzzy partner joining them… on a icrutch/i, "We made a toon-hole for them and he stayed to be their guide while I came back to help you. From then on, I just had to stall for a little time."

Now what do you say to that. That actually sounded more or less… _competent_.

"Daddy!" the voice of a girl that had seemed to help Bonkers walk before suddenly cut through and the kid went to jump upon her father's bed, giving him a tight hug. Bonkers, with a smile on his face limped inside after her.

Hugging his daughter tightly, Lucky managed to sit up on his bed slowly this time. They lasted like this for quite a while; the atmosphere was easy, light hearted. Dialogues mostly focused on how relieved everyone was about all of this being over, but still… one thing seemed unnaturally off – and the detective couldn't help but be bugged from it.

Eventually Marilyn hopped off from the bed to join her mother and when that happened Lucky's eyes almost involuntarily wandered over to the bobcat, seizing him up. His gaze never quite left that crutch. This just seemed so… wrong.

"What do you need that for?" the officer asked finally, his voice laced with a concerned suspicion that didn't quite fit the current mood-setting.

"This?" Bonkers asked as he twirled the aid a bit, nonchalantly.

"_Oh,_" he exclaimed and eventually began to laugh, leaving his partner quite confused. "I don't need this at all!" the fuzzy officer explained casually before he tossed it aside and walked up to Lucky's bed, "I just wanted to know how it was like being here all the time."

The senior-officer on the bed just blinked at first, before he let out a weak groan and ruffled the bobcat's head.

"You're crazy."

"Thanks for noticing!" the bobcat responded cheerfully.

Von Drake narrowed his eyes, which never once had stopped resting on Bonkers since he had come in.

* * *

Somehow, Lucky couldn't find himself being mad at the little bobcat, so he gave him a collegial pound in the arm before the detective turned to look at his family again. Bonkers showing up had reminded him that they still had business to attend to.

"Now that Dyl and Marylin are safe we can alert the Headquarter and lock Mc Slime up _for good!_"

"Ah-ah!" Bonkers suddenly interjected and threw himself at Lucky, slamming him back into bed in the process, "_You_ – are gonna stay here – and recover! You earned it!"

Lucky couldn't help but blink suspiciously.

"_Who_ are you?!"

Bonkers responded with a light-hearted chuckle, as though Lucky had just cracked the joke of the century before he made a big deal of swirling his arms around and pointing at his chest.

"_This_ is your new and improved partner. Don't you worry, Lucky; we'll handle this somehow. Together! Whenever you feel fit to do so. In the meantime - take your rest."

He handed the detective the crutch he had come in with and wrapped Lucky's hands around it, the expression on his face turning somber.

"These aren't fun at all."

Marylin exchanged a glance with her mother, hopped off from her lap and rounded the bed to give Bonkers a hug.

The bobcat responded in kind.

"They say you'll be ready to bust crimes again in two weeks tops!"

Just so long as Bonkers wouldn't worsen his state again, the bobcat remembered the nurse's subtle warning.

And he really didn't want that.

That was why after he had stayed a little longer, the bobcat left to return to the Headquarters. Bonkers, after all, was still fit to do his job and he had news to tell and colleagues to warn.

Mc Slime wouldn't be roaming the streets for long. Sure, it might take them a while to recapture him; just consider how long it had taken them to seize him the first time around!

_Plenty!_ Precicely. The Police didn't call him _Slippery _Mc Slime for nothing.

But just like back then, Bonkers was sure they'd get another chance.

Another time.

_Another story._


End file.
